Multiple Vikings Headline Final Pro Bowl Voting
Janik Eckardt
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Multiple Vikings Headline Final Pro Bowl Voting
The Pro Bowl will occur between the Conference Championship games and the Super Bowl. A few changes made the event look different this year, as the league changed the actual game to a flag football game, which was bound to happen because of the lack of effort and fear of injuries of the selected players. However, the NFL added some skills competitions.
Players usually don’t want to be at the Pro Bowl because that means they did not make the Super Bowl, but they certainly want to have the selection in their resume. The honor will give the players leverage in contract negotiations and help their legacy after their careers.
Multiple Vikings Headline Final Pro Bowl Voting
Fan votes count a third, just like coaches’ and players’ votes in the determination of the Pro Bowlers. The fan voting ended last week, and multiple Vikings are the top vote-getters at their respective positions. Of course, it’s easier to get recognition when a team is 11-3, and in addition, Vikings fans are passionate and really good at those things. But who received the most votes in the NFC on his position?
The 2 Stars
Justin Jefferson, the superstar receiver, leads the league in receiving yards and the NFC wideouts in votes. His 264,653 votes are the fourth most in the NFL. He quickly became the face of the franchise after his arrival. After a couple of years of running the offense through Dalvin Cook, the Vikings changed their approach, and Jefferson is now the offense’s focal point.
No record is safe, as his current pace would put him just short of the single-season record by three yards and 39 yards short of the first 2,000-yard receiving season. A late-season surge is certainly possible, as the Vikings want to keep the second seed in the NFC. He will also break the Vikings franchise record of receiving yards in a single season, currently held by Randy Moss.
Harrison Smith, the veteran safety, might have lost a step, but he makes up for it with an impressive football IQ. His five interceptions rank him third in the league, and his 77 tackles are the most of all Vikings outside the two linebackers, Kendricks and Hicks.
Smith is also the quarterback of the defense because he is helping everyone get lined up. It’s often possible to see him calling out the exact offensive play before the snap. He is no longer at his peak level but is still one of the top safeties in the game.
A Special Group
A group of special teamers is also on top of their respective positions. All three, Kris Boyd, Andrew DePaola, and Kene Nwangwu, top their groups. DePaola went undrafted in 2012. Of course, long snappers are rarely draft picks. The 35-year-old has never gone to a Pro Bowl. He tore his ACL in Week 1 of 2018 and did not appear in a game until the Vikings signed him and activated him in Week 11 of 2020. He’s a reliable long-snapper and deserves the honor after a long career.
Kris Boyd became one of the fan favorites since joining the Vikings in 2019. He was a seventh-round selection and was a backup cornerback for a while. In 2021, he turned into a special teams demon, and his punt coverage is impressive. His seven snaps on defense in Week 15 were the most he had all season. Boyd forced the crucial fumble in Week 4 against the Saints in London in punt coverage.
Return specialist Kene Nwangwu is one of the most explosive returners in the game. He returned three kicks for a score in just 25 career games. The Vikings needed his touchdown on Thanksgiving against the Patriots to win the game. He is technically a running back but hasn’t been used as one. However, his ability to change a game with a single play is an important skill.
The final rosters will be revealed on Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT on NFL Network, and some Vikings should find their way onto the team. Players like Christian Darrisaw, Za’Darius Smith, and TJ Hockenson have some excellent chances to make the team.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and Classic rock is his music genre of choice. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
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